Pathogen Vol 1 1
Awaken is the first issue of the comic series Pathogen from Paragon Comics, written by TheRealSloth. Appearing in Awaken Featured Characters: *Kent-Alan Ryan -First Appearance Supporting Characters: *Owen Blake -First Appearance *Tobias Grey -Mentioned Villains: *Antigen -First Appearance Other Characters: *Dr. David Webber -First Appearance *Unnamed Antigen scientists Solicit Synopsis CODE RED: PROJECT PATHOGEN ESCAPEE HEADED FOR THE STREETS! Excerpts from Awaken The first panel opens up to an Antigen laboratory, where several pods filled with an orange liquid lie attached to the wall. Inside each pod contains an individual person, of various ages. The room is dark, and three drowsy scientists were sitting around filing some paperwork. One scientist was recording a voice log briefing the project. Scientist: Fourty volunteers for Project Pathogen. Only thirteen showed signs of symbiosis. The rest fell into comatose. But this one... He walked over to a pod containing a young boy, who is deeply unconscious with a mask to help him breathe in the liquid. Only you were nigh perfect... Ahem, Mr. Kent-Alan Ryan, subject number 50353, has yet proven to be the only test subject to show over 80% effectiveness with the "Neuroid Worm". Further testing is needed. The next panel shows the scientist on the floor, backing up. There's broken glass and a slimy orange liquid leaking through the floor. A shadow stands over the scientist, as he is seen calling security. An orange blur dashes through the laboratory, flipping over tables in its way as it makes its way towards the exit. The escapee is blocked by several armed guards at the exit, who aim at the subject but don't fire. The figure turns, agitated, then dashes towards a nearby wall, jumping out of a window and smashing through it to avoid the security. Outside the lab, the figure rises amidst the shattered glass, and with a close up of his face you see a young boy, shirtless and covered in goo, with a slight tinge of orange in his eye... Was that a dumb move? Whatever your answer, it's nowhere near as dumb as this next one... The scene changes, with the next panel showing a highschool, Forest Park High, Coastal City. A young, short boy wearing clothing far too big for him was exiting class, frowning to himself and staring at the floor as he walked. He turned a corner, but was suddenly grabbed by a taller boy in scruffy clothing. The smaller boy tried to scream but his mouth was covered. Taller boy: Shut up! It's me! Smaller boy: Knt-Aln? Kent-Alan: Yes you idiot! He removed his hand and turned the younger boy to face him. Owen we need to talk. Owen: Talk?! Of course we bloody do! Where have you been?! Oh boy, there's a million ways to answer this question. Kent-Alan: Work experience. Owen: Work experience? Kent-Alan: No, I uh... Here it comes... Owen: Well? You skipping school again? These next few words will change our entire relationship... Kent-Alan: You know Antigen...? Owen: The company? Yeah. This is the part where I tell him. Kent-Alan: I took up their money offer, played the lab rat role. Made myself some pocket money. Gonna buy a new jacket or something... On second thought, it's better I don't tell... Owen: That took two weeks of school? Gosh, you really don't care about your studies... Kent-Alan: Give me a reason to. Owen: These upcoming months can determine your entire future- Blah blah blah... More Owen-babble. Kent-Alan: That's great, dude. But I gotta go. See ya. He walks off, but not before Owen stops him. Owen: Wait! K-Al, is everything alright...? Normally the answer to this question is always the opposite of the truth. Kent-Alan: Yeah. I'm fine. But not this time. That was an understatement. Because everything was gonna be WAY better than fine... A few panels pass of Kent-Alan in class. Usually he'd struggle to read as he always had, but this time was different... Not only could he read fluently, he was a lot more focused on other things. Not his phone this time, but rather there was a fly outside bothering him because it flew too fast, or the teacher was breathing too loud at his desk. Little things like this he'd never have notice before, he was noticing. It was crazy. Maybe the drugs they gave me haven't worn off yet... I'll return to sleeping in class by tomorrow... That night Kent-Alan woke up every hour to transfer the contents of the fridge to his stomach. It was an odd night for him, but he didn't feel tired the next day at school. Four AM snacks. They're normal. It was the same again in class today. Kent-Alan's head whizzing around at the slightest stimuli, to the point where his classmates were noticing, thinking he's "high or something." Same thing again. Maybe I'm just alarmed. For all I know, Antigen could be contacting the school, asking for me... Maybe that's why everyone's looking at me weird. They all know. They just don't want me to overreact, I'm not going back, keep your f***ing money, I'm not a lab rat! Kent-Alan was trying to stay calm, but if anyone met his eyes they'd see his anxiety hit hard. He saw students talking around the school grounds, he could've sworn they all were taking glimpses of him in the corners of their eyes. He walked away, heading around a corner behind one of the classrooms instead. Though, someone followed him... So here you are...here to take me? Not today... He turned around quickly towards the figure following him, instantaneously grabbing them by their throat. He effortlessly lifted them up from their feet and pushed their flailing body against the wall. Owen... Kent-Alan: Owen?! He realised he had grabbed Owen, who was struggling to breathe and battling between shock and fear. He dropped him immediately. I'm sorry. Owen: Dude...what the hell?! Kent-Alan: Reflex. Sorry. Owen: That wasn't a reflex... You attacked me, dude! I'm not a criminal. Kent-Alan: Calm down, it was harmless... I didn't get any sleep last night. Thought I was being followed. Owen: Where was that upper body strength in gym class... Urg, you could've killed me! Kent-Alan: Oh chill out you damn idiot! I told you I didn't get any sleep. Who the hell follows someone without announcing themselves?! Owem: You did that to me yesterday when you showed up after two weeks of absence. Kent-Alan: Whatever. Owen: Seriously, I don't know what drugs Antigen gave you, but you've been acting weird as hell in class. He's right. This is not normal. Kent-Alan: They have nothing to do with this! They had everything to do with it... Owen: Is it related to you and Mrs. Knight? Kent-Alan: ...what? Owen: Is that whole rumour true? Kent-Alan: What rumour...? Owen: Toby went around telling everyone you slept with a substitute teacher that got fired two weeks back, and you were out to get therapy. Kent-Alan: Oh my God... I swear I'll kill that tw*t! Why Mrs. Knight, why not Mrs. Sanders or something! Owen: Heh, I guess that wouldn't be that funny. Kent-Alan: Who believes this? Owem: Everyone in our grade. Did you check your Twitter account? Kent-Alan: I don't have one... Owen: Oh. Nevermind then... Kent-Alan: Where's Toby? Owen: Why? Don't start a fight with him, this rumour will die by next week. Especially if you're gonna go rip his head off like you almost did to me... Kent-Alan: Wha-no, I wasn't going to! Stop assuming that crap, arg! That was an accident, get over it! Kent-Alan pushes Owen out of his way as he stomps off back home. After dealing with that crap with Antigen, I come to school with more crap like this. Can't catch a break, can I? The next few panels cut to Kent-Alan in the shower of his father's house, washing his hair. He feels a bump on his head and starts rubbing it slowly. It's a very minor lump barely visible under his thick brown hair, but as he feels it his expression becomes increasingly worried. This bump was never here before. Did I hit my head running away from that place? No... I never did... He immediately turns the shower off and finishes. He heads over to the bathroom mirror to look at the bump, feeling through his wet hair for it. He squeezes the bump, but this triggers all his nerves, as he swings his arm through the air as a reaction. What experiments did they do to me? They said something about a worm... A worm in the brain... His face looks horrified at the thought of them placing a worm in his head, he feels sick, with a deadly headache. He turns to his left, seeing a pair of scissors kept in a cup on the windowsill. He grabs them, gripping them tightly, moving his hair out of the way as he slowly moves the pair of scissors towards the lump on his head. He uses the mirror to help guide him, about to stab the worm out of him, but he halts, looking at the mirror in shock. Whatever they put in me, that thing... The panel zooms out to show the mirror, with a large clean slash through it, caused by the movement of Kent-Alan's hand. I guess it could stay for a bit... Kent-Alan smirks at his cracked reflection, dropping the pair of scissors, his eyes looking cocky, again with a tinge of orange highlighted in the mirror... 'NEXT ISSUE: EVOLVE' Category:Paragon Comics Category:Pathogen (series)